AIRCRAFT CABIN

Abstract

An aircraft cabin is provided. The aircraft cabin comprises a first row of seat units extending across the cabin between a first outboard sidewall of the cabin and a second opposite outboard sidewall of the cabin, a first aisle extending along the cabin, and a second aisle extending along the cabin. The first row of seats units comprises a first seat unit, a second seat unit, a third seat unit and no further seat units. The first aisle is positioned adjacent the first outboard sidewall and separates the first outboard sidewall and the first seat unit, the second seat unit is positioned adjacent the first seat unit, and the third seat unit is spaced apart from the second seat unit by the second aisle, the third seat unit being positioned adjacent the second outboard sidewall. The first row of seat units further comprises a privacy screen movable between a stowed position and a deployed position in which the privacy screen provides a barrier at least partially partitioning the first seat unit and second seat unit.

Claims

1. An aircraft cabin comprising: a first row of seat units extending across the cabin between a first outboard sidewall of the cabin and a second opposite outboard sidewall of the cabin, a second row of seat units positioned adjacent the first row of seat units, a first aisle extending along the cabin, and a second aisle extending along the cabin, wherein the first row of seats units comprises a first seat unit, a second seat unit, a third seat unit and no further seat units, wherein: the first aisle is positioned adjacent the first outboard sidewall and separates the first outboard sidewall and the first seat unit, the second seat unit is positioned adjacent the first seat unit, and the third seat unit is spaced apart from the second seat unit by the second aisle, the third seat unit being positioned adjacent the second outboard sidewall, and wherein the first row of seat units further comprises a privacy screen movable between a stowed position and a deployed position in which the privacy screen provides a barrier at least partially partitioning the first seat unit and second seat unit, and wherein the second row of seat units comprises a fourth seat unit and a fifth seat unit separated from each other by the second aisle, wherein each of the second seat unit, third seat unit, fourth seat unit, and fifth seat unit comprises a primary seat and a privacy wall positioned between the primary seat and the second aisle, the privacy wall being movable between a stowed position and a deployed position in which the primary seat is at least partially enclosed by the privacy wall.

2. The aircraft cabin according to claim 1, wherein the first seat unit comprises a primary seat, and wherein the primary seats of the first seat unit, the second seat unit, and the third seat unit face in a direction substantially parallel with a longitudinal axis of the aircraft cabin.

3. The aircraft cabin according to claim 2, wherein each seat unit comprises only one primary seat for a single passenger of the seat unit.

4. The aircraft cabin according to claim 1, wherein the privacy screen is at least 1090 millimetres (43 inches) high as measured from the cabin floor when in the deployed position.

5. The aircraft cabin according to claim 1, wherein the privacy screen is movable between the stowed position and the deployed position by being configured to be able to lowered and raised.

6. The aircraft cabin according to claim 1, wherein the first seat unit comprises a primary seat and wherein the cabin comprises furniture positioned between the primary seats of the first and second seat units, the furniture configured to provide a shared table surface between the first and second primary seats when the privacy screen is in the stowed position.

7. (canceled)

8. The aircraft cabin according to claim 1, wherein the cabin comprises a partition movable between a stowed position and a deployed position in which the partition is positioned at least partially in one of the first or second aisles, adjacent at least one of the first, second, and third seat units thereby at least partially blocking the first or second aisle.

9. The aircraft cabin according to claim 8, wherein, in the deployed position, the partition blocks the first or second aisle such that a person cannot pass through the first or second aisle without moving the partition from the deployed position.

10. The aircraft cabin according to claim 8, wherein, in the deployed position, the partition is positioned between the second and third seat units thereby at least partially blocking the second aisle between second and third seat units.

11. The aircraft cabin according to claim 8, wherein, in the deployed position, the partition is positioned between the first seat unit and the outboard side wall thereby at least partially blocking the first aisle between the first seat unit and the outboard side wall.

12. The aircraft cabin according to claim 8, wherein the first row of seats units is the only row of seat units in the cabin provided with a moveable partition.

13. The aircraft cabin according to claim 1, wherein the first seat unit comprises a primary seat and wherein the cabin further comprises a floor and wherein one of the first, second, or third primary seats is rotatably mounted upon a floor of the cabin.

14. The aircraft cabin according to claim 13, wherein the primary seats of the first and second seat units are rotatably mounted upon the floor of the cabin and are rotatable to face each other.

15. The aircraft cabin according to claim 13, wherein the primary seats of the second and third seat units are rotatably mounted upon the floor of the cabin and are rotatable to face each other.

16. (canceled)

17. The aircraft cabin according to any of claim 1, comprising a piece of furniture deployable into either the first or second aisle.

18. The aircraft cabin according to claim 17, wherein the piece of furniture is a table, a further seat, a display monitor or a piece of exercise equipment.

19. A kit of parts for installation in an aircraft to provide the aircraft cabin of claim 1, the kit of parts comprising a first, second, third, fourth, and a fifth seat unit and a privacy screen, wherein the first, second, and third seat unit are configured to be arranged into a first row of seat units and the privacy screen is configured to be placed between the first and second seat units such that the privacy screen is movable between a stowed position and a deployed position in which the privacy screen provides a barrier at least partially partitioning the first seat unit and second seat unit, wherein the fourth and fifth seat units are configured to be arranged into a second row of seat units positioned adjacent the first row of seat units, and wherein each of the second, third, fourth and, fifth seat units comprises a primary seat and a privacy wall, wherein the privacy wall is configured to be positioned between the primary seat of the seat unit and an aisle of the aircraft cabin, and wherein the privacy wall is further configured to be movable between a stowed position and a deployed position in which the primary seat is at least partially enclosed by the privacy wall.

20. An aircraft comprising the aircraft cabin of claim 1.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings of which:

[0029] FIG. 1 is a plan view of part of an aircraft cabin according to a first embodiment of the invention;

[0030] FIG. 2 is an overhead perspective view of the first, second, and third seat units of the aircraft cabin;

[0031] FIG. 3 is an overhead perspective view of the first, second, and third seat units of the aircraft cabin wherein partitions have been deployed into the first and second aisles;

[0032] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of first and second seat units of part of an aircraft cabin according to a second embodiment of the invention;

[0033] FIG. 5 is a plan view of part of an aircraft cabin according to a third embodiment of the invention;

[0034] FIG. 6 is an overhead perspective view of part of an aircraft cabin according to a fourth embodiment of the invention, shown with seat unit privacy walls in a deployed position; and

[0035] FIG. 7 is an overhead perspective view of the part of the aircraft cabin shown in FIG. 6, with the seat unit privacy walls in a stowed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] A plan view of part of an aircraft cabin 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 1. The cabin 1 comprises three seat units 3, 5, 7 arranged in a first row 8 across the cabin, between a first outboard sidewall 15 and a second opposite outboard sidewall 16. A first aisle 11 is positioned adjacent the first outboard side wall 15, the first aisle 11 thereby separating the first outboard side wall 15 and first seat unit 3. A second seat unit 5 is positioned adjacent the first seat unit 3, and a third seat unit 7 is spaced apart from the second seat unit 5 by a second aisle 13, the third seat unit 7 being adjacent the second outboard sidewall 16. The first and second aisles 11, 13 extend along the cabin 1, substantially parallel to the first and second outboard sidewalls 15, 16.

[0037] The cabin comprises a longitudinal axis X and each seat unit 3, 5, 7 comprises a seat 31, 51, 71 which faces in a direction parallel (facing forwards—to the left as shown in FIG. 1) with the longitudinal axis and is convertible into a bed. A front privacy wall 32, 52, 72 is located in front of each seat 31, 51, 71 and a rear privacy wall 33, 53, 73 is located behind each seat, the front privacy walls 32, 52, 72 and rear privacy walls 33, 53, 73 extend to a height of 1520 millimetres (60 inches), as measured from the cabin floor, thereby enclosing the seats 31, 51, 71 from the front and the rear.

[0038] The adjacent first and second seat units 3, 5 are separated by a privacy screen 17, shown in more detail in FIG. 2, that is stowable should the passengers located in the first and second seat units 3, 5, be, for example, travelling together and wish to create a shared space between the first and second seat units 3, 5 during flight. The privacy screen 17 is shown as deployed (raised) in FIG. 2 wherein the screen 17 extends to a height of 1520 millimetres (60 inches), as measured from the cabin floor such that the screen 17 acts as barrier between the first and second seat units 3, 5 thereby acting to mitigate noise transfer between the first and second seat units and to ensure that a passenger seated in the seat 31 of the first seat unit 3 cannot see into the second seat unit 5 and vice versa.

[0039] The privacy screen 17 is shown as stowed (lowered) in FIG. 3. As can been seen, a plinth 18 comprising a recess into which the privacy screen 17 can be lowered is positioned between the first and second seat units 3, 5 so that a shared space can be created between the first and second seat units 3, 5 by stowing the privacy screen 17 within the plinth 18.

[0040] During boarding of the aircraft, for example, access through the first aisle 11 and second aisle 13 is needed for the aircraft crew and passengers. However, when such access is not required, for example during flight, it is possible to block the first aisle 11 between the first seat unit 3 and the outboard side wall 15 and the second aisle 13 between the second seat unit 5 and third seat unit 7 to convert the aisles 11, 13 into private spaces that are shared between the seats unit(s) either side of the aisles 11, 13.

[0041] As can be seen in more detail in FIG. 3, a slideable partition 131 is movable to a deployed position in which it is positioned adjacent the front privacy walls 52, 72 of the second and third seat units 5, 7 to fully block the second aisle 13 at a front region of the seat units 5, 7. There is also a further slideable partition 132 movable to a deployed position in which it is positioned adjacent the rear privacy walls 53, 73 of the second and third seat units 5, 7 to fully block the second aisle 13 at a rear region of the seat units 5, 7.

[0042] Deploying the partitions 131, 132 creates a substantially enclosed private space that is shared between the second and third seat units 5, 7. In this configuration, a table 130 can also be deployed into the second aisle, between the second and third seat units 5, 7, as shown in FIG. 3, so that passengers in the second and third seat units 5, 7 can share the table 130 to, for example, dine or work together.

[0043] Similarly, in the first aisle 11 a slideable partition 111 is movable to a deployed position in which it is positioned adjacent the front privacy wall 32 of the first seat unit 3 to fully block the first aisle 11 between the first seat unit 3 and the outboard side wall 15 at a front region of the seat unit 3. A further slideable partition 112 is movable to a deployed position in which it is positioned adjacent the rear privacy wall 33 of the first seat unit 3 to fully block the first aisle 11 between the first seat unit 3 and the outboard side wall 15 at a rear region of the seat unit 3.

[0044] Deploying the partitions 111, 112 creates a substantially enclosed private space, including space in the first aisle 11, that is accessible only to the first seat unit 3.

[0045] A first seat unit 300 and a second seat unit 500 belonging to an aircraft cabin 200 according to a second embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 4. The seats 301, 501, belonging to the first and second seat units 300, 500 are rotatably mounted upon the cabin floor and are rotatable through 90 degrees to a position in which they face one another. During taxi, take-off, and landing (TTL), the seats can be rotated to a TTL position in which the seats face forward, substantially in the direction of travel of the aircraft. However, during flight the privacy screen can be stowed as shown in FIG. 4 so that the passengers sat in the first and second seats 301, 501 can rotate their seats 301, 501 to face one another so that they can, for example, dine or work together at a shared table surface that is formed by tables 304, 504 belonging to each seat unit 300, 500.

[0046] A part of an aircraft cabin 1′ according to third embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 5. The aircraft cabin 1′ is substantially the same as the aircraft cabin 1 according to the first embodiment of the invention. Features of the aircraft cabin 1′ of the third embodiment of the invention that are also present the aircraft cabin 1 of the first embodiment of the invention have been labelled in FIG. 5 using the same reference numeral as used in FIG. 1 but appended with ′. In addition to the features of the aircraft cabin 1 according to the first embodiment of the invention, the aircraft cabin 1′ of the third embodiment of the invention also comprises a first aisle seat 115′ and a second aisle seat 117′ that are deployable, from a stowed position, into the first aisle 11. During taxi, take-off, and landing, the aisle seats 115′, 117′ can be stowed within the aircraft cabin 1′. However, during flight the aisle seats 115′, 117′ can be deployed within the first aisle 11′ as shown in FIG. 5 so that, for example, a passenger of the first seat unit 3′ and a companion traveller can sit-side-by-side with in the aisle seats 115′, 117′. Furthermore, the aircraft cabin 1′ also comprises a table surface 119′ mounted upon the outboard sidewall 15′ that projects into the first aisle 11′ and is usable by passengers seated in either of the aisle seats 115′, 117′ so that passengers seated in the aisle seats 115′, 117′ can, for example, dine or work together at the table surface 119′.

[0047] A part of an aircraft cabin 100 according to fourth embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The aircraft cabin 100 includes a first row of seats 700 comprising a first seat unit 73 and a second seat unit 75 separated by an aisle 900. The cabin 100 also comprises a second seat unit 83 and a third seat unit 85 separated by the aisle 900 in a second row 800 of seat units, wherein each seat unit 73, 75, 83, 85 comprises a seat 731, 751, 831, 851. Each of the seat units comprises a privacy wall 736, 756, 836, 856 positioned between its seat 731, 751, 831, 851 and the aisle 900, thereby enclosing the seat 731, 751, 831, 851 and acting as a barrier between the seat 731, 751, 831, 851 and the aisle 900.

[0048] Each of the privacy walls 736, 756, 836, 856 is shown in a deployed position in FIG. 6 in which the seats 731, 751, 831, 851 are enclosed by the privacy walls 736, 756, 836, 856. However, the privacy walls 736, 756, 836, 856 are each movable to a stowed position, as shown in FIG. 7, in which the privacy walls 736, 756, 836, 856 are lowerable to a position in which they no longer enclose the seats 731, 751, 831, 851, thereby removing the barrier between the seats 731, 751, 831, 851 and the aisle 900. As can be seen in FIG. 7, when the privacy walls 736, 756, 836, 856 are lowered, a shared space can be created in the aisle 900 between the first, second, third, and fourth seat units 73, 75, 83, 85. Furthermore, partitions (not shown) are moveable to deployed positions across the aisle 900, in substantially the same way as described with respect to the slidable partitions 111, 112, 131, 132 of the first embodiment of the invention, so that a substantially enclosed private space, including space in aisle 900, is shared between passengers sat in the seats 731, 751, 831, 851 of the first second, third and fourth seat units 73, 75, 83, 85.

[0049] Whilst the present invention has been described and illustrated with reference to particular embodiments, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention lends itself to many different variations not specifically illustrated herein. By way of example only, certain possible variations will now be described.

[0050] In some embodiments of the invention there may be no plinth or other furniture positioned between the first and second seat units and the privacy screen may be lowerable to a level below the first and second seats so that the first and second seats are convertible into a double bed. Alternatively, in some embodiments of the invention there may be a plinth positioned between the first and second seat units wherein the plinth is lower than the first and second seats so that the privacy screen may be lowerable into the plinth below the first and second seats to enable the first and second seats to be converted into a double bed.

[0051] The partitions 111, 112, 131, 132 are configured to slide into place to block the first and second aisles 11, 13. However, in other embodiments of the invention the partitions may be hinged, or alternatively, may be completely detachable and stowed within, for example, a compartment somewhere within the aircraft cabin. Alternatively, the partitions could be curtains.

[0052] In another embodiment of the invention, similar to the second embodiment of the invention, a third seat unit positioned adjacent a sidewall of the cabin is spaced apart from a second seat unit by an aisle. A third seat belonging to the third seat unit is rotatably mounted upon the cabin floor and is rotatable through 90 degrees to a position in which the seat faces the adjacent sidewall of the cabin. During taxi, take-off, and landing (TTL), the third seat is rotatable to a TTL position in which it faces forward, substantially in the direction of travel of the aircraft. However, during flight the third seat can be rotated to face the sidewall. In this position a passenger seated in the third seat may be able to use a table surface positioned between the third seat and sidewall for, for example, dining or working.

[0053] Some embodiments of the invention may comprise seat(s) rotatable through 180 degrees so that a seat can rotate, from a forward facing position, 90 degrees in a first direction or 90 degrees in a second, opposite direction. Such an arrangement may therefore enable a seat to face into an aisle on a first side of the seat or to face a neighbouring seat unit or sidewall on a second side of the seat. Neighbouring seats may therefore be rotatable to face away from one another as well as towards one another.

[0054] In addition, or alternatively, to a table 130 deployable into the first aisle, as shown in FIG. 3, some embodiments of the invention may comprise other items of furniture deployable either one of, or both of, the first and second aisles. The item(s) of furniture may include a table, a further seat, a piece of exercise equipment, and/or a display monitor, such as an In-Flight-Entertainment (IFE) screen, a screen connectable to a personal electronic device (PED), or a computer game console screen.

[0055] Where in the foregoing description, integers or elements are mentioned which have known, obvious or foreseeable equivalents, then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth. Reference should be made to the claims for determining the true scope of the present invention, which should be construed so as to encompass any such equivalents. It will also be appreciated by the reader that integers or features of the invention that are described as preferable, advantageous, convenient or the like are optional and do not limit the scope of the independent claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that such optional integers or features, whilst of possible benefit in some embodiments of the invention, may not be desirable, and may therefore be absent, in other embodiments.